Research have shown that proportional representation promotes voter satisfaction. Robert Winters has collected data from Cambridge elections from 1991-2007, which were all run according to the principles of PR. Winters' research shows that on average over 90% of the Cambridge voters elected their 1st or 2nd choice candidates.

voter
satisfaction

Election

elect

candidates

valid

invalid

total

#1 elected

Pct #1

#2 elected

Pct #1 or #2

#3 elected

Pct #1,2, or 3

None

Pct none

Pct blank

diff.

1991 Council

9

19

22967

0

22967

18692

81.4

3032

94.6

552

97.0

429

1.9

0.0

1.9

1997 Council

9

19

16879

350

17229

15290

88.7

1279

96.2

248

97.6

278

1.6

0.0

1.6

1999 Council

9

24

18777

384

19161

14658

76.5

3066

92.5

580

95.5

575

3.0

0.0

3.0

2001 Council

9

19

17126

562

17688

14821

83.8

1814

94.0

382

96.2

492

2.8

0.0

2.8

2003 Council

9

20

20080

878

20958

15242

72.7

2985

87.0

841

91.0

1413

6.7

0.0

6.7

2005 Council

9

18

16070

132

16202

12748

78.7

2384

93.4

432

96.1

425

2.6

0.0

2.6

2007 Council

9

16

13633

88

13721

10875

79.3

1919

93.2

374

96.0

399

2.9

0.0

2.9

1997 School

6

8

16386

285

16671

13887

83.3

2191

96.4

197

97.6

395

2.4

0.0

2.4

1999 School

6

13

17961

307

18268

13890

76.0

2746

91.1

605

94.4

859

4.7

0.0

4.7

2001 School

6

10

16489

1160

17649

13443

76.2

2538

90.5

356

92.6

1255

7.1

0.0

7.1

2003 School

6

8

18698

2210

20908

17124

81.9

1635

89.7

58

90.0

2091

10.0

0.0

10.0

2005 School

6

8

15470

719

16189

12534

77.4

2136

90.6

409

93.1

1110

6.9

0.0

6.9

2007 School

6

9

13276

433

13709

10550

77.0

1949

91.2

211

92.7

974

7.1

0.0

7.1

Notes on data:Voter satisfaction percentages are based on
total ballots. These figures include blank ballots that were included
in the total. The "diff." field gives the percentage of ballots who
elected none with the blank ballots subtracted out. Cambridge election
officials are not always consistent in the way they include blank
ballots in the totals. Hence the widely varying numbers. The 1991
figures only include valid ballots recorded by data entry. The results
may differ slightly from the actual election results.

In Detroit, there have been three mayors in the past two years and the current one has come under scrutiny. Perhaps a system like instant runoff voting will help bring political stability to motor city.